Braids, Hundred Waters, Kodak to Graph

[GLITCHY DREAM POP] On its 2011 debut, Native Speaker, Braids made a remarkable effort at spot-welding the “blogworthy” styles of the moment—skittering, Feels-era Animal Collective percussion, dense layers of effects-heavy vocals, guitar scribbles looping in the margins, a heaving synth-heavy bottom end—into a cohesive package that played more like a statement of purpose than pastiche. What’s more is the live delivery of what may sound like studio trickery on wax. These kids from Montreal absolutely nailed it. Pared down to a trio and supporting this year’s “pulls a Radiohead” effort Flourish//Perish, expect more of a sample-based electronic setup orbiting around singer Raphaelle Standell-Preston’s vocal acrobatics. If the band can pull this off live, the sky (or outer space) is the limit for Braids.